In Blackness We Lay
by BellatrixLestrangey
Summary: A/U of course. Regina Mills, fed up with Storybrooke and the people in it, decides to make a new start in a new land. The one she winds up in is the HP universe where she encounters another witch who isn't in a very cheerful mood herself. This will be a Bellatrix/Regina femslash fic.
1. Into The Blackness

Another world is her only choice. That's what she had decided.

That would be here only means of escape now.

The thought had been dancing in Regina's mind for a few weeks now, just itching to be acted upon. And finally Regina had, had enough. Between all attempts to revive Henry's memories failing (resulting in a return to New York for a happy mother and son) and Zelena's murder of Robin Hood. The witch had been sure to make the deed as excruciating as she could in ripping the thief's heart out and crushing it, leaving him to die in Regina's arms just as her mother and Daniel had. The woman finally snapped, she had to get away from this hell, from the people who still shot her dirty looks and accusing glances despite all the effort (and if she must say so herself) success she put into changing herself for the better. The mayor was completely and utterly fed up with the town she'd wasted a chunk of her life making. With Henry and Robin both lost to her, it was time to leave it all behind. With nothing and no one to stay for, she'd go to another world…

One where no one knew the Evil Queen, or even Regina Mills.

Silently thanking herself for bargaining with Rumple to fix Jefferson's hat, Regina gave the headpiece a light twirl. She gazed into the portal spawned from the formal headwear. She honestly had no clue how to operate the thing and could guess with 85% certainty that she wouldn't even end up in that strange room with all the doors.

Oh well, anywhere was better than her current location—alone in a mansion much too big.

She took a leap—one she may have even been able to call a leap of faith—into the spinning vortex. The sensation of fluttering butterflies worked its way into her stomach as soon as the more rational thoughts set in; _what if she just banished herself into oblivion? Into an eternal nothingness where she'd be forced to wait for hunger and thirst to claim her._

•• ◘ ••

Diagon Alley was abuzz with Hogwarts students—from first years to irresponsible seventh—bustling to snatch up some last minute school supplies. A first year Ravenclaw nearly knocked Hermione over in her rush to reach Ollivander's. With a sigh the witch continued her stroll down the road. She herself had to pick up a book or two—of course the books she had in mind were for entertainment sake, she'd _never_ forget to buy her school supply in advance.

It was just outside Flourish and Blotts where Hermoine found the woman. She was lying face up on the sidewalk—Hermione was absolutely appalled by the number of people just stepping over her without sparing her a second glace. The young witch crossed the street, her books would have to wait. Upon closer examination Hermione noted a sweep of elegant shoulder length hair (the color of dark chocolate) covering a sizeable patch of blood on the woman's temple. _She must have taken some kind of fall_ Hermione concluded. Hermione knelt down beside her, the woman's unconscious expression akin to one of fear and hurt. But on a lighter note, her breathing was soft, regular, and by all means, reassuring.

Hermione drew out her wand set to cast a minor healing spell when the woman awoke. Her eyelids fluttered open, a dazed look clouding their bright brown color. She let out a soft, pained moan and put a hand to her throbbing head.

"Er…good morning." Hermione greeted.

"Is it really?" Asked the other, rather bitterly.

"I could help you. If you don't mind." Hermione offered. "I'm Hermione. Hermione Granger."

"And I'm fine." The other woman muttered.

"Fine? You look like you just had a run in with the Death Eaters." Hermione sputtered, taken aback by the woman's harsh mannerisms.

"The what?" She asked knitting her eyebrows.

"You're a muggle aren't you?" Hermione asked.

"A what?"

"A muggle. Someone who can't do magic…"

"Hardly!" The woman remarked sounding rather offended. "I'm one of the most powerful sorceresses in my land."

"Your land?" It was Hermione's turn to question.

"Never mind." The woman pulled herself to her feet with a huff. Her heels clicking against the ground as she strode hastily away.

_What an odd woman. Even for Diagon Alley._

•• ◘ ••

It had been a good month or so since the defeat of her master. Bellatrix had bribed her way out of the harshest of punishments. Those greedy bastards over in the ministry could never turn down a spare gallon—or in this loathsome case a few thousand gallons. Of course, in a sorry attempt at avoiding public outcry they had sentenced her to a wandless…magicless existence under the watchful eye of her sister. Bellatrix couldn't even recall a time when she felt this 'optimistic'.

When she got her magic back those fools would suffer. All of them. The ministry, the dweeb with the lightning scar, the mudblood, the ginger…every single last one of them.

But for now all the pureblood could do was follow Narcissa down the road snarling and hissing at those who dared stare at her the wrong way.

•• ◘ ••

Regina ran a hand through her hair. _What a poor way to start._ But she couldn't help it, among her many flaws was a knack for snapping at a helping hand. Not only was she stuck with a gushing head wound but she was stuck in a foreign land in a much too crowded town. She was beginning to regret making that jump already. Just what the hell had she been thinking. She hadn't even bought any money along. _Did these people even have the same currency?_

The thought was cut short when she slammed into something…or to her misfortune, someone. A someone clade in a dress very much like something she'd have worn back in the Enchanted Forest—darkly colored and complete with a corset. And this someone look even less joyful than Regina herself.

She had maybe two options here; get into a lowly fist fight with a rather startling woman she did not know, or spark up a conversation about how dismal life has been.

The woman stared Regina down with coal black, heavily lidded eyes, her messy dark curls fluttering wildly in the wind. Her lips twisted in a nasty scowl, she seemed to have the first option on her mind…


	2. A Little Heart To Heart

**I kind of abandoned this because I didn't know where to take it. However I noticed that even two years later this story is getting reviews, so by popular request (and because I'm entering another Bella phase); part 2.** ** I mean how can I ignore "The continuation of this story is a public service. We all love it and need more."**

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Regina felt the sting of the slap before the woman's hand made contact with her already bleeding temple and she had every desire to return the favor. Eyes glowing with irrational anger and a need to take it out on someone, Regina landed a blow upon the woman's jaw. Regina hissed in pain her knuckles probably took just as much of a hit as the other woman's face. _I should just stick with magic_, Regina mused semi-regretfully.

Her opponent was very clearly not a woman of reluctance, before Regina could even finish her thought, the woman in question shoved her more than roughly into the nearest alley and pinned her to the wall. Regina scowled, this woman was strong. On the small side, but strong no less.

"You want to watch where you're going?" She hissed in Regina's ear. "I don't think you know who you're dealing with."

"I don't think that _you_ know who _you're_ dealing with." Regina spat back.

"Oh. Then do let me know." The woman cocked her head.

Her interest couldn't be any more insincere. And yet Regina, falling prey to her own anger, let herself take the bait. "I am the Evil Queen. I've slaughtered villages…"

The woman cut her off, "and I've tortured the innocent and slaughtered a good many muggles." She stated haughtily as if that had settled something. "I was Lord Voldemort's right hand woman."

Regina ran over the list of awful things she'd done, suddenly the things she had once felt guilt over were becoming things to be prideful of. "I killed my own father."

The woman's lip curled into a twisted half smile. "Well I killed Sirius Black and…"

"I do hate to interrupt your little pissing contest Bella," appeared a man with long and ridiculously pampered blonde hair, "but your sister is waiting quite fitfully for you."

"And she can wait a little longer," Bella half growled, "I have business with this one." She jabbed her pointer painfully into Regina's chest.

For a second Regina had thought that the pompous man would actually do her some good. But instead he shrugged and nonchalantly told Bella not to take too long. The Queen could still feel the woman's nail digging into her chest. The woman had taken to clawing at her upper torso with an animalistic ferocity.

Her eyes lighting up lustfully with each blood droplet that wept from the scratches.

With a rather ugly snarl, Regina plunged her hand into the woman's chest, feeling for her heart and hoping that they'd work the same in her world as Regina's own. At last Regina found the familiar pulse and yanked. The woman offered her a soft whimper, from the look on her face Regina couldn't tell if it was born of pleasure or pain. She had an unsettling feeling that it was indeed pleasure.

And yet she held Bella's heart—a small dark thing, not unlike her own—up to her face. "I presume you know what this is."

That annoyingly smug and oddly childish grin didn't waver from Bella's face. If anything, Regina could swear that the woman's delight was steadily increasing. "So Queen Queen enjoys playing with Bella's heart does she?" She let out a joyful laugh, her eyes filling with an unhinged sparkle.

_There is something very wrong with this woman_. Regina didn't know how it had taken her so long to register this. She felt Bella's hand tighten around her neck.

"You squeeze, I squeeze." Regina declared. She pressed down on the woman's heart just hard enough to give her a tester.

Again Bella winced, but her grip didn't loosen. Rather the woman decided boldly to squeeze Regina's neck more intensely. In turn Regina tightened her hold as well; if it labored Bella any, it didn't show on her face.

The pair locked eyes, light brown eyes blazing into dark brown. And Regina couldn't help but notice how dark, almost soulless, the only hint of life in them was that gleam wild fury. One of Bella's thick tangled curls made its way into her face and swayed with every harsh exhale the woman gave.

For seconds that seemed more akin to minutes they stood like that, oddly captivated by one another.

Regina should have crushed the woman's heart then and there. But a fresh idea came to her mind. Perhaps it wasn't a better idea. Or a good idea at all really, but Regina raised the woman's hear to her lips. "You will let go of me."

The look on Bella's face alone as her grip unwillingly loosed, alone, made it seem like a good idea. With the ability to keep Regina pinned against the wall now lost to her, Bella let her hands fall to her sides. Though they didn't stay there for long. This time Regina was quick to add, "And you won't resume our fight until I say so."

With no other options, Bella settled for furiously eyeing Regina with murder on her broken mind.

Regina tossed the woman's heart from one hand to the next. "I do believe you understand what this means?" When Bella didn't respond Regina continued. "It means you are going to do what I tell you to. Evidently I have no allies in this land so I'll take what I can get. A few moments ago aside, you seem like the kind of person who could offer me protection I can't get elsewhere." She hoped that her smug smirk outdid Bella's.

The woman in mind seemed to relax, but in a way that was equally as unnerving as her enraged frenzy. "Alright then luv. You can have Bella." She licked at her smiling lips, leaving Regina to wonder just what had rendered in the Bella's mind.


	3. Where Are Your Manors

**Enid an Gleanna: Yeah I actually wasn't planning on updating this at all lol. But after two years and seeing that people still wanted an update I decided "kay fine but only because ya'll are so persistent lol." Truthfully the reason I abandoned it was because I had no idea where to go with it (though I think I have a direction now) I just really love both Bella and Regina and I wanted to ship stuff. Thank you very much though, I'm glad you like it so far. :) As for the heart thing it wasn't a change of the rules so much as Bellatrix being Bellatrix. I feel like she'd get more of a thrill out of it than a shock. I'm also rather partial to redeemed Regina but I'm not sure if that's where I'll take her (especially considering that Bellatrix is an awful influence) I'll just let the fic write itself lol.**

**Kapuis: Thanks, I appreciate it. ^_^ I'm going to try to update regularly, given that life doesn't get in the way.**

**SL13: You have good taste in characters my friend. :P**

**104maria92: No problem and no worries, I've actually already got a bit of chapter 4 started.**

**approximationOfhumanity: Yeah I totally see her having some odd kinks. I mean she loves causing pain so I've always imagined that she'd get a thrill of it being inflicted on her. And thank you. :D**

**And finally (last bit before actually starting), thank you everyone else who reviewed prior for your feedback. I really appreciate it and am glad there are so many people who love both ladies as much as I do!**

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"Well I'm glad we could settle that." Regina muttered, her eyes still fixed on the woman in front of her. Exactly what to do with Bella, Regina still didn't know. The only thing she knew for certain is that the woman could never get her heart back, lest Regina find herself dead.

"Such unusually dark magic." She heard Bella whisper. The woman was staring at her heart, a heart that was still beating in Regina's palm. "However do you do it?"

Regina scoffed, "even if I told you, you probably wouldn't be able to manage it."

"How dare you!?" Bella shouted.

To Regina's ever hard to come by luck, a figure shuffled into the alleyway before Bella could continue. She quickly tucked the woman's heart into her jacket and folded her arms across her chest to keep it from falling out of place.

"Bellatrix," hissed a voice. "What part of don't take too long do you not understand?"

Bellatrix chuckled gleefully, apparently forgetting her discontent. "The don't part!"

_This Bellatrix is truly amazing_, Regina pondered to herself. How can someone who just had her heart ripped out be so excited?

"Who is this?" The man asked, motioning to Regina with his cane.

"Why she's Bella's new friend." Bellatrix answered with a wicked grin as she curled an arm over Regina's shoulder. She squeezed just tight enough to make Regina snarl and twitch uncomfortably. "And of course she'll be staying with us, Lucius."

"And here I thought I'd be seeking out a hotel." Regina mumbled. Truly she hadn't expected or even wanted Bellatrix to offer her a place to stay. On the contrary, she rather dreaded the thought of being in the same house as this woman. "What a lovely offer."

Bellatrix shrugged, "I have to make sure my heart is in safe hands. That you don't lose it."

Regina half-snorted, "lose it? How daft do you think I am."

Bellatrix grabbed her wrist and tugged her along. She followed Lucius out of the alleyway, falling intentionally behind. "You and I have much to discuss when we get home."

"What's to discuss. I have your heart. You do what I say."

"You underestimate me. You see, I'll play along for a little while. But of course I will have my turn eventually."

Still safely out of earshot Regina drew Bellatrix's heart out once more. "You won't dare to tell anyone that I have your heart."

Bellatrix rolled her eyes, "but of course not. Where's the fun in that?" Regina could have sworn she detected a hint of sarcasm. And yet the woman skipped happily ahead of her as if the conversation hadn't happened at all. She watched Bellatrix catch up to a blonde woman. Quite beautiful—Regina noted—with her sleek blonde hair, her fair skin, and her pale blue eyes.

_A very sharp contrast to her sister. Gorgeous thing really._ Regina observed. Or at least she assumed this woman was the sister Lucius had been referring to.

Her eyes fell upon Bellatrix again, out of the darkness of the alleyway Regina decided that the woman was rather beautiful herself. With enticingly sharp, nearly hollow facial features and skin much lighter than her sisters—or perhaps the dark color of those strangely elegant yet messy curls that created an illusion of paleness. She had likely once been a wonder to see. And indeed there was something oddly alluring about the visages of the woman's former perfection. Regina wondered what had managed to dilute such a former beauty.

"Cissy!" She heard Bella call. "Narcissa, why don't we just apperate?"

Regina shook her head, grateful that Bella had snuffed out that train of thought. That loathsome woman was the last person she wanted to find attractive.

"Does your new muggle friend even know how." Narcissa spared her a slanted glance.

"She's no muggle Cissy." Bellatrix's voice dropped to a hoarse whisper. Regina focused in on her but between Bella's hushed volume and the chatter of passerbys she could make out no more.

"Can you apperate?" Both sisters asked at once."

"Apperate?" Regina cocked an eyebrow.

"Teleport. Get from one place to another using magic." Bellarix sighed as if Regina was supposed to have picked up on all of the rules of this land within a short stroll down what she presumed was a shopping district.

"I would need a visual for that."

"So your magic isn't much different from ours after all." Bellatrix tapped her chin. "I'll meet you at the manor, Cissy." She turned to Regina and held out her arm. "Hold on to my arm and don't let go. You mess this up and lose my heart I will find you between dimensions and I will kill you." She paused, "and for the love of Dark Lord Voldemort, don't vomit on my shoes afterwards."

"You'll find I am rather adapt at 'apperation', thank you." She took hold of Bellatrix's arm. Without another word the witch whisked them away.

To Regina's dismay this apperation was nothing like her own ability to teleport in a soothing cloud of purple smoke. No, this method was disorienting and dizzying—seeming to bend and twist and constrict her body and her breathing in ways neither should be. But for the sake of maintaining dignity she was determined to keep it to herself. Once finally settling upon solid ground a wave of nausea overtook the former queen. She felt truly sick, and based upon Bellatrix ever-smug smile she assumed she looked the part as well.

The burbling fountain did little to ease Regina's spinning world.

"Welcome home luv." Bellatrix said with a wide arcing gesture as if to display the grandeur of this place. "Shall we get inside or would you like to make friends with the shrubbery?"

"I'll leave that to you." Regina delivered the comeback weakly. She followed Bellatrix through the gates hoping that she wasn't still wobbling like a drunk.

"My heart?" Bellatrix asked.

"Is fine." Regina replied.

"Good, good, then dinner will go well."

Regina stepped into the foyer onto a marble floor richly carpeted with expensive rugs. Covered just as thickly as the floor were the walls, the entire expanse of them all was covered in portraits, suites of armor, and other lavish things. The place looked even more dank and dismal than her own castle. "Welcome home indeed."


	4. According To Granger

**kapuis: Thank you. The two are very fun to work with.**

**ShadowCub: As of late I think that, that is the direction I'm going with this-I feel like evil Regina is better suited for Bellatrix.**

**approximationOfhumanity: Nothing is easy with Bellatrix lol. Thanks for the feedback, and here I've been pronouncing (and spelling) apparate wrong this whole time. My life is a lie. That's a good point, that was a little out of character-something I'll have to avoid in the future.**

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Regina held Bellatrix's heart up, trying to find a safe place to hide it. Dinner had been a challenge between Bella herself and the Malfoy couple. None of the three seemed to be pleased by her arrival—the Malfoys had been even less thrilled to hear Bella making snide and snappy remarks. "If you don't like her then why the hell is she in my house?" Lucius and complained. To which Bellatrix only shrugged. The woman didn't have an excuse prepared, not even a poor one.

So Regina had sat at the table silently watching as some strange creature—a house elf, or so Bellatrix called it—set food and drink before her. She had watched the wrinkly, big-eared things with a sense of unease. They'd take some getting used to.

It was around that time when Bellatrix decided that she wanted to make a scene. She had apparently forgotten to stop at Gringotts along the way home. And apparently this was Regina's fault. Again Lucius grumbled something about how Bella could very well "just throw our 'guest' out." And how "living with you, Bellatrix is becoming tiresome."

Much to Regina's annoyance, Bella had naturally brushed off those directly offensive words to pick a fight with her. At some point during that verbal sparring match Regina had considered just whipping the woman's heart across the table just to be done with it—and she hadn't even had it for more than a few hours. She wondered momentarily if this woman was only acting so impudently because she is without her heart. But then she recalled what prompted her to take the witch's heart in the first place and decided that Bellatrix was innately a brash person.

It didn't take long for her to decide that she could endure no more. Between the narrow-eyed glances from Narcissa, Lucius' carefully disguised insults, and Bellatrix's blunt expression of her opinions Regina had retreated. Bella alone was enough to drive her away.

_She looks like the type of woman who would start kicking at my legs under the table_. Regina mused to herself as she lie on the bed that the house elf had shown her to. And Regina had a striking feeling that the kicking was about to start, hence her hasty departure. The woman was honestly exhausting. How the Malfoy couple managed to put up with her was beyond Regina.

Even from in the semi-comfort of the upstairs guest room she could hear Bella's infuriating shrieking laughter. _She's louder than Swan_, thought Regina bitterly. _More childish too_. It was as if someone had thrown a child into the body of a grown woman, just one more unsettling thing about her new alley. She looked at the heart in her palm.

She set the still beating thing down on the window sill, it glowed faintly behind the curtains. She stood to inspect the room for somewhere better to put it. No loose floorboards, no holes in the wall.

Of course not. These people had money to spare and then some. The a drawer would be a choice to obvious. The wardrobe equally so. She could hide it in one of the vases, but what if it got used. _That would be Bellatrix's problem,_ she answered herself. Her eyes then fell upon an ancient looking gothic jewelry box. That would work of course it was also a rather obvious hiding spot, but she could better keep track of it. She slipped Bellatrix's heart into its new home and mumbled a quick protection spell.

She set the box on the nightstand beside her bed.

The beating from within it kept her from sleep.

.oOo.

Dawn had just arisen and Bellatrix was already hassling her. Regina had woken up to the woman's voice—"WAKE UP ALREADY! WE HAVE THINGS TO DO!" Followed up by a few swears and the bang of the door as it was kicked in.

"You could have used magic." Narcissa pointed out, pinching the bridge of her snooty nose.

"Hmmph, magic's not as loud as the slamming of a door against a wall." Bella answered dismissively. She turned her attention back on Regina, who lie in the bed with her eyes closed, still pretending to be asleep. "You will come with me to my vault in Gringotts! After all, it is your fault I wasn't able to get there yesterday."

"My fault?" Regina sneered, she looked around to make sure no one else was in ear shot. "I took your heart not your brain."

"Don't you want a tour of the Wizarding World…or at least Diagon Alley?"

"Diagon Alley?"

"The place where you decide to run into me." Bellatrix shrugged.

"Decided? You think I woke up in the middle of the street and _decided_ that I wanted to run into you specifically." She rolled onto her other side and shut her eyes again.

"You will come to Gringotts with me!" Bellatrix demanded again.

"Are we forgetting who's in charge here?" Regina smiled smugly and gave the jewelry a quick and dainty drum of her fingers.

For the briefest moment it was Bella who seemed to look mildly vexed, but her look irritation quickly transformed into self-satisfied smirk. She drew her wand out, "imperio."

A sort of dreamy haze fell over Regina. It was a pleasant feeling really, as if all of the weight that had been piled onto her since Daniel's death just fell off and fluttered away. It felt to her as if she could flutter away. Smiling warmly, she welcomed the feeling and let it take her over.

"Now let's get to Gringotts, shall we?"

Regina followed Bellatrix with a foggy mind until the pair was decently far down Diagon Alley. It was only when they were coming to the intersection of Diagon Alley and Knockturn Alley that she released Regina from her curse.

Regina sputtered out a few curses of her own before asking "just where the hell am I?"

"Why I brought you to Gringotts with me, remember luv?" Bellatrix asked pseudo-sweetly, her face aglow with a delighted smile.

Regina merely glowered.

"It's only fair." Bellatrix continued. "You play with my heart, I play with your head." She pressed the tip of her wand to Regina's head at her temple. "Now let's go visit my vault." She nodded her head in the direction of the bank.

Insistent on making this as difficult for Bellatrix as possible, Regina folded her arms of her chest and declared, "you go on ahead, I'll wait out here." To drive her point in she found one of the marble pillars holding up the structure of the bank and leaned upon it.

Bellatrix chuckled. "Oh you're a tricky one aren't you? Alright then luv, just don't get yourself into trouble."

"This is coming from someone who looks like she causes trouble religiously." Regina dismissed the comment.

In response Bellatrix shrugged and made her way through the crowd looking back briefly only to call, "well if you want to cause trouble go ahead, just tell them that Bella sent you."

Regina sought out a nearby bench to sit on, hoping Bellatrix would make her trip quick so she could become acquainted with more interesting parts of the town. The wand shop—Oliver's was it? She couldn't quite recall—looked intriguing. She spent the first few minutes of Bella's absence pondering about the shops. In the next few she began to feel awkward just sitting there without a purpose. After another ten or so minutes she began wondering if Bella had simply ditched her. Feeling even more awkward she slipped her phone out of her purse, the device still didn't have a signal so she couldn't even pretend to be interested in it. She put it back down and settled for drumming her fingers on the arm rest.

"Oh hey! You're okay." She heard someone shout. She didn't look up. "I'm talking to you." Came the voice again.

Regina pointed out herself.

"Yes, you." The girl sat next to her.

"Right you're…" she tried to recall a name, remembered that didn't pay attention when the girl had said it, and settled for "the one who found me laying in street."

"Yes, Hermione Granger." The girl introduced herself again. "I take it you found an adequate place to stay?"

"Well it's a place to stay. I don't know if you could call it adequate." Regina shrugged.

"You seem like you are in better spirits." Hermione pointed out.

Regina sniffed, "hardly."

Apparently Hermione hadn't much to say to that, for she let a silence befall the pair and occupied herself by pretending to be interested in taming her curls. Regina took a sudden interest in finding shapes in the clouds.

"Say, what do you know of Bellatrix Lestrange?" Regina asked finally.

Hermione's eyes widened, but only for a moment. Regina couldn't quite make out what the girl was feeling, she just knew that it was something negative. "Her? Why?" She answered at last.

"It's just that." Regina paused. "I have heard the name come up on more than one occasion now."

"I'm not surprised. She's as infamous as Harry is famous. And she's honestly quite dreadful."

_You're telling me_, Regina thought bitterly. "Exactly what makes her so infamous?"

"Well, I don't even know where to start." Hermione began.

Regina eyed the doors to Gringotts, searching the ever moving crowd. Somewhere in her mind told her that she didn't want Bellatrix to catch her talking to Hermione. And that she didn't want Hermione to see her with Bella.

"She's er… not very stable for one. She has killed people for the sake of killing people…"

_Been there myself, dear._

"…her own cousin."

"What about him? I'm sorry I missed what you said."

"She killed him." Hermione repeated herself. "Torture usually always makes her smile. I have a friend named Neville, she tortured his parents until their minds went so hectic that they couldn't recognize him."

Regina shot another nervous look at the bank and considered ending the conversation. _Come to think of it_, Regina thought,_ she had mentioned this during our squabble hadn't she_. She'd let Hermione help her sort the truths from the lies.

"She's a death eater." Hermione added.

"This is the second time I've heard that word." Regina snapped, annoyed by her own lack of knowledge. "What…who are they?"

"They're Voldemort's followers. They hate muggle borns and half bloods." She explained, "people like me." And for Regina's sake added, "people who were born to one muggle and one pureblood or in my case two muggle parents. It's somewhat complicated."

"In other words they are elitists?"

"That's correct." Hermione confirmed. "And some time back they, led by Lord Voldemort, tried to kills us all off. Only purebloods deserved to exist in their perfect, twisted world."

"And Bellatrix was one of them." Regina asked for further confirmation.

"She was one of them yes. More than one of them really. She was his…Voldemort's right hand woman. Frighteningly loyal she did anything he wanted her to do and then some. She devoted herself whole heartedly to his cause. I'm fairly certain that Bellatrix disowned her own sister after she had married a muggle born." Hermione replied.

"That's truly lovely." Regina stated sarcastically.

"Unless you're a pureblood I would avoid her at all costs." Hermione concluded.

Regina gnawed nervously at her cheek. Her mother had indeed been a magic user, though the same couldn't be said for her father. She herself didn't really have that spark for the longest time. "Thank you Hermione."

"You're welcome. If there's anything else you'd like to know you can send me an owl." She offered with a quick explanation. "You can buy one at the Owl Post."

Regina nodded, before catch a glimpse of Bellatrix's slender figure slinking out of Gringotts. Hermione looked like she was about to say something else. "If you'd excuse me I have to leave."

"Oh. Um, alright. I do hope to see you again." Hermione smiled.

"Yes, perhaps." Regina replied before slipping hastily into the crowd, leaving Hermione quite baffled at her sudden departure.

Regina glanced back to make sure the girl hadn't been fool enough to follow her and managed to slam into someone.

"You really have a knack for running into me don't you?" Bellatrix grumbled. "What were you doing anyhow?"

"You took too long so I went exploring." Regina lied.

"Oh good, so that means we can just go right home?"

"You dragged me all the way out here so you will take me out to see the town. Should you decide go back to the manor, I will speak into your heart and we will end up right back over here." Regina declared.

Bellatrix let out the most melodramatic sigh Regina had heard in a while. "Alright fine, follow me."

"Besides, there is something I would like to discuss with you Bella."


	5. Tea And Torture

**Sorry, shortish chapter this time. I've been really short on internet/fic typing time lately but I didn't want to completely abandon fic again. That said I'm gonna be on vacation soon so I may or may not be able to update at all for about a week.**

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Regina had to confess that she had been paying only half attention as Bella listed off the names of the shops and restaurants rooted to the sidewalks of Diagon Alley. She was more or less preoccupied with wording what she'd soon say. How she would bring the topic up without disclosing where she had found her information.

"Do you have a preference? You strike me as the picky type." Bellatrix broke through her stream of though.

"Preference for what?" Regina asked.

Bellatrix let out a hiss of irritation. _As if the woman doesn't have problems paying attention herself_, Regina thought bitterly.

"Where would you like to eat?" Bellatrix rephrased.

"That last place you mentioned." Regina shrugged.

"The last place I mentioned was Ollivanders. If you fancy eating wands we could always find you a nice man, maybe Cissy will let you borrow Lucius."

"The last _food_ place you mentioned." Regina corrected, making a point of ignoring the other woman's crassly snide innuendo.

"You know what, fine, I'll pick. And here I though losing my heart would cost me my freewill." She tapped her wand to her lips, mulling over her options. "Perhaps I'll show you Hogsmeade." She thought out loud, more to herself than Regina.

As she went on listing the different eateries Regina found herself drifting back into her own thoughts, only to be removed for them once again by an inquiring Bellatrix. Regina assumed she was asking about food again. And once more Regina simply told her "that last one."

"Hog's Head?" Bellatrix snorted with laughter. "You eating at that tactless place? No, no, I'd better take you to Madam Puddifoot's. You seem like a prude tea shop kind of woman."

Regina felt her anger stir venomously for about the fifth time that day and it had only just begun. "Prude? I am not—you know what, forget it." She started over, "look, I don't care where we eat I'm not all that hungry anyhow."

Bellatrix shrugged, "Madam Puddifoot's it is. All the couples go there and I know how much you love me."

Regina scoffed but opted to follow Bella anyhow, after all there is no better place to discuss revenge and murder than a dainty tea shop.

Bellatrix pushed her way past a small group of people and made her way to a table. She insisted on placing her order first, which was fine by Regina who had planned on saying "I'll have what she's having" anyhow. She found that Bella had become unusually quiet, allowing her to take in the atmosphere. An atmosphere that was uncomfortably gushy and lovey. She felt rather out of place sitting across the table with a woman she barely tolerated. The woman in question began to fidget with the silverware placed before her.

Regina waited for the waitress to deliver their food before finally speaking. "I've heard a thing or two about you." She paused, dropping her voice to a low hush. "Namely that you have a knack for torture." She drummed her fingers on the table and watched Bella take a bored sip from her cup. "What if I told you I had a whole group of people I'd like to see slowly dead?"

The witch set the cup back onto the table, her eyes alit with glee. Regina didn't allow her time to agree or disagree. "But in order to do that, we have to get back to my land."

Bellatrix waved her hand dismissively, "a simple task."

"Simple? Have you tried traveling from world to world?"

"It can't be much more difficult than getting back to the manor from here." Bellatrix finished off her drink. "Speaking of. Do you want to walk back or shall we apparate?"

"It doesn't matter." Regina replied, remembering just how much she hated apparition only after Bellatrix took hold of her hand. She could already see the delight Bellatrix would express at her disoriented state. In a drawn out second, the pair appeared just outside the looming gates. Without so much as a glance back at Bella, Regina retreated into the guest room. She had acquired a certain determination to make up the hours of sleep Bellatrix had cost her.

Her sleep being so filled with dreams most unpleasant, had her waking up with regret that she had given her mind the extra time to concoct such dreadful images. Images of Henry standing over her, a bloody knife in hand. Swan had been there too, coaxing the boy to run his mother through once more.

With her desire to sleep once again depleted, Regina moved to the widow and peered through the curtains, a deep and nearly starless night had fallen upon the manor. From above a think coverage of clouds, a ray of moonlight filtered through the newly parted curtains falling across the floor and settling on the jewelry box she had hidden Bellatrix's heart in. A light rain had begun to tap itself upon the window turning into a near down-pour loud enough to drown out the sound of Bella's beating heart. The thick dark clouds swirled in to obscure the light of the moon. But they were polite enough to provide light of their own, accompanied by bangs noisy enough to set even that large manor atrembling. Regina almost didn't hear the knocking at her door over sky ruckus.

She pulled the door open to see Bellatrix filling the door frame, her dark bed-tousled curls spilling over and covering her pale face. Caught momentarily off guard, Regina flinched the woman looked like something out of a horror film. The witch looked up at Regina.

"Oh don't tell me…" Regina was cut off by Bellatrix pushing past her. "You're not afraid of storms are you?"

"No." Bellatrix mumbled. "Of course not."

Regina hadn't expected her to admit it. She felt compelled to kick the woman out and force her to deal with it, instead she watched Bellatrix sit herself down at the foot of the bed. The former queen had to admit that Bella was good at hiding her apparent phobia—perhaps to save herself some face in front of the Malfoys. _Imagine that, a dark witch afraid of a little thunder_.

The clouds parted momentarily, and in the moon rays that beamed through the window Regina took in the dark marvel that was Bellatrix Lestrange; her thick long lashes, her nearly-black eyes, her thin slightly parted lips. The way the moonbeams outlined her tall and slender frame.

Regina pulled her gaze away.

Bellatrix beckoned her closer.

And without thinking she moved towards the bed.


	6. Like The Passing Of A Storm

**Finally! Sorry it took so long to update guys!**

**ShadowCub: Don't worry, they'll be in the Wizarding World again. ;)**

**Reginapriestly &amp; Sanekittens: Thank you guys. :D**

**Kapuis: And thank you. There will certainly be a face down soon.**

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Regina sat down next to Bellatrix, much closer than she truly wanted to be. The witch absently toyed with her curls. Twisting strands around her pointer only to unravel them again. As she stared out the window, her body seemed to tense up in anticipation with each flash of lightning. Bella, as Regina came to notice, was unusually still and lacking her hyper nature. And she felt somehow strangely compelled to offer a comforting hand. The kind of comforting hand that no one ever offered her.

Bellatrix looked over her shoulder, Regina took that as her cue to move closer. And acting upon the same force that compelled her to sit on the bed in the first place, Regina tugged the other woman into an awkward embrace. The witch slung her arm around Regina's middle and positioned her head in the crook of her neck, her every exhale falling warmly over Regina's collarbone. Thinking and saying nothing, Regina stroked the woman's thick, tangled tresses.

This gentle motion elicited Bellatrix to let out a soft humming noise.

So she continued to run her hand over the woman's hair. She'd keep it up all night if it would prevent the witch from acting out. Regina fixed her eyes on the window, watching drop after drop tap rhythmically on the pane.

Without so much as a warning, Regina felt Bella's lips brush up against her collarbone. Without hesitation the woman trailed her kisses up until her mouth met Regina's ears. "Thanks for letting me stay in your room luv." It was no more than a whisper. "It's so much easier to ignore a storm when you have something much better to focus on." And she pressed another kiss onto Regina's ear. The former queen felt Bella's touch drop down to her waist.

"What are you doing?" Regina sputtered.

"Nothing." Bellatrix spat. "Never mind." She pulled herself away from Regina.

As she had been doing all night, Regina acted without thinking. She took the witch by the wrist and pulled her back. And they were back to where they had begun—Bella simply leaning against her. Regina first chided herself for killing the mood and then chided herself for wanting a mood in the first place. _No, Bella is the last person I want to be stuck with_, she reminded herself. And yet the woman was so intriguingly beautiful.

The witch wormed her way out of Regina's grasp once again, so that she could stretch her arms above her head, the straps holding her nightgown loosening at the motion. _If she puts her arms down now… _before Regina could finish that thought Bella let her arms down. And with them came the left strap, leaving her left breast to Regina's viewing pleasure. _That couldn't have been an accident_, Regina speculated to herself. The witch cocked her head and offered Regina a coy smile, making off as if she intended to cover herself back up. _Perhaps a friend with benefits wouldn't be so bad._ Regina wrapped her hand around Bellatrix's wrist and with her free hand pushed the other strap down.

Bellatrix, in turn, slipped her hand under Regina's satin night shirt. Her hand had an unusually cool feel to it, a kind of chill that almost made Regina want to flinch away when it slid up her belly. She felt the woman's thumb brush the underside of her breast, sparking a warmth in her cheeks.

Before could allow herself to have second thoughts, Regina worked each button on her nightgown free, allowing for Bella to push the cloth down to the bed sheets and away from Regina's body. In one fluid and graceful motion, Regina wrapped her arms around Bella's neck and pulled the two of them into a laying position.

From above, Bellatrix's locks fell into Regina's face, tickling her still flushed cheeks. Regina reached up and ran her finger along the other woman's right cheekbone.

For a moment the two women just lie there. Bellatrix's head resting on Regina's chest, listening to the rhythmic beat of her heart, wishing that her own was still in her chest. She felt the longing from somewhere now distant to her. Bella moved her hand over the woman's heart, her nails pressing semi-uncomfortably into the flesh above. Regina curled her fingers around the witch's wrist, noticing for the first time, the fading tattoo inked onto her pale flesh.

"What's this?" Regina thumbed the mark.

It seemed to the former queen that the witch would not speak up, and for a good while Regina just took in the feeling of the woman's chest rising and falling against her own. "Something that was very important to me." Bellatrix spoke at last, eyeing the finger that continued to probe the mark. "It connected me to him—to my master." She declared, with eyes welling up and a strange sort of smile.

"Your master?"

Bella nodded, her hair scratching softly at Regina's exposed skin. Bella's hand, the one that wasn't on her breast fell again to Regina's navel and then over to her side. The witch seemed content to keep it there, which was perfectly okay by Regina who had been given just enough time to realize she had jumped into something all too quickly.

"Do you mind?" Regina asked, motioning to tug her top back on. For once Bellatrix was compliant, and busied herself with re-positioning the straps of her own lacy nightgown. Eyeing the witch carefully, Regina wondered just what she had gotten herself into and how she had gotten into it.

Once both women were again decently clad, Regina dropped herself back to the pillow and made room for the witch to lie beside her. But Bellatrix didn't fill the space. Instead the woman made some final adjustments to her nightgown, and like the passing of the storm, made her way wordlessly out of the guest room.

Leaving Regina to ponder upon how, on that night she could have sworn she came close to actually caring for the witch who had tried to kill her in a dark alley.


	7. Cissy's Spite

**sanekittens: Aye, we can't have Bellatrix without being mysterious. As for Hermione, I haven't decided yet. Right now I'm just kind of letting the story write itself-within reason of course. **

**ShadowCub: For real though, while I do ship Bellamort I definitely think Bella can do better. She and Regina just make a great pair. Both are just so broken in their own ways. They could really help each other out.**

**GraceSophia: Thank you. :D Glad you enjoyed it.**

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Regina ran a comb through her hair for the third time that morning, and yet it still wasn't tamed to her satisfaction. She irritably set the comb down with enough force for the sound of its fall to echo briefly around the room. With the comb suitably punished for not doing its job, Regina moved into the walk in closet where she sifted through hanger after hanger. Again, nothing seemed to satisfy her tastes. Which was particularly annoying considering she had made special plans for the day. Scowling she decided to consider her clothing options over breakfast.

She seated herself at the far end of the dining room table and waited for the house elf to come by and take her order. As she waited Regina tried mulling over what to wear, but her thoughts kept drifting to the night before. So she instead opted to focus on something of more importance—her plan to get rid of the loathsome Charmings and their pesky followers. Again her thoughts shifted to last night; the feeling of Bella's hair pressed on her chest, the woman's surprisingly soft skin, the scent of black raspberry and vanilla hanging about the dark woman…

Softly growling to herself Regina tried to refocus, but the sound of Narcissa's agitated finger tapping (from across the table) somehow managed to snatch her attention. With a more conscious effort Regina forced her plan to the front of her mind. But it would seem that the harder she tried to maintain concentration the louder Narcissa's tapping seemed. Louder and louder still until Regina snapped her head up and shouted—much louder than she intended—"will you knock it off!?" The look on Narcissa's face soured to the consistency of a lemon.

"How dare you speak to me like that? And in my own house. My husband and I have been kind…or foolish enough to play along with Bella's games and allow you to stay here."

And in this, Regina assumed that her presence was what had initiated the woman's uneasy tapping in the first place.

"I can just as well escort you out." She finished. "I'm sure Lucius would be content with that." Narcissa had chosen her words diplomatically as always. But Regina knew what the woman really meant; "my husband would love to kick your ass out of here…and so would I."

Before Regina could abandon breakfast altogether, another figure flounced into the room. And despite the cold his company always bought, Regina hoped this figure belonged to that of Lucius Malfoy. Though, as always, her luck was slow to show itself. And so it was that Bellatrix Lestrange seated herself at the table.

Right next to Regina.

Naturally at an uncomfortably close distance.

"Exactly how long is our...guest" she spit the last word out with a degree of verbal venom, "going to be with us?"

The blonde's question left Regina to wonder what she had done to acquire the Malfoy woman's heated emotions. The woman lived with Bellatrix, what could she have possibly done that the dark haired witch hadn't?

The witch in question sparred Narcissa a blasé glance. "Today, tomorrow, maybe a moth. Maybe a year. Whenever I grow tired of her." She flicked her hand lazily and dismissively. "Of course there is a chance that I may never grow tired of her." Bellatrix smiled a devious smile and out of nowhere Regina felt the woman's touch on her outer thigh. Regina quickly swatted the offending hand away giving the Bella a sharp look to match Narcissa's own.

"Cut it out." Regina hissed.

Bellatrix answered with a sing-songy imitation of Regina's words and then laughed cheerfully, delighted at the opportunity to resume her childish antics. She turned her attention back to Narcissa, leaving the former queen to her thoughts.

It was as if the witch had forgotten their stormy night encounter. She was refreshed and ready to peeve Regina some more.

She certainly showed no sign of appreciation, or that anything had changed between them at all. _And maybe it didn't,_ Regina pondered. Perhaps she was reading too much into the late night happening. It was very likely that her sleep clouded brain had let something a fully awake Regina would have never let slide. It was very likely that Bella's childish need for comfort from the storm had gone too far in her sleepy haze. _I'm over-thinking it_, Regina decided. She looked to the messy haired witch who was, much to Narcissa's annoyance, rocking happily from side to side in her chair. Clearly she was unbothered, so Regina herself should just let it go.

"Bellatrix, you know how Lucius feels about having people in the house for so long. You know how I feel! After what happened with Volde—"

Regina heard Bella's low and dangerous hiss.

"What happened with the Dark Lord." Narcissa decided to tread in safe waters. "And besides, Draco will be home soon and…"

"And he can make a new friend." Bellatrix replied as if that settled something.

"He has enough adjustments to make as it is, without the extra company."

Regina felt a tingling in her stomach. A certain anger flaring up upon listening to them talk about her as if she wasn't sitting at the table with them. "Worry not." She spoke. "Bellatrix and I will be leaving today. You and Lucius and…"

"Draco." Narcissa was quick to fill in.

"Will have the manor to yourselves again."

"Leaving?" Narcissa was practically on her feet, hands slapped firmly onto the hardwood table. Her voice had raised tenfold. "To where?" She asked Regina. And to Bella, "and just when were you going to inform me?"

Bellatrix nonchalantly lifted her glass, hand atop the rim, and stared at the grape juice swirling with in. She sighed, "oh relax Cissy it isn't that big a deal. You wouldn't have missed me."

"Bella!"

The dark witch bought her pointer to her lips. "Hush Cissy. We'll be there and done with _it_ and back again before the ministry can detect a thing."

Regina listened intensely pick up on vague points that had to hold some sort of importance. In that short exchange she had managed to pick up on plenty of problematic issues. Issues that could very much hinder her plan. She a desire to address them all promptly but had no clue which angle to press from first. "You didn't tell her?" Regina turned to Bella, finding that, that was a good place to start. It was probably best to show Narcissa that she was just as surprised about Bellatrix's lack of communication. Yet all the same she wasn't shocked at all.

Bellatrix downed her grape juice. "Oh please. Cissy doesn't need to know of my every coming and going. I'm the eldest if anything Cissy should be reporting to me."

"Perhaps I don't need to know. But the ministry…" She trailed off.

"The ministry?" Regina decided that this was good point of concern. "How much trouble are you in? Are you supposed to be confined to this manor?"

Bellatrix being as helpful as ever replied, "more or less."

Regina pinched her brow, succumbing completely to her aggravated mood. She had finally run into someone powerful and void enough of sympathy to help her carry out her revenge. And the help was under house arrest!

She could always allow the witch to live with her in her mansion. However Regina wanted to leave the option to flee back her open, should all else fail in Storybrooke. And besides, the last thing she wanted was for the crazed witch to run amuck in her beautiful, organized, spotless home making a mess of it. She could already see the crayon markings on her pristine walls.

"Enlighten me." Regina requested. "Tell me just how much and what kind of trouble you are in. You can skip the deeds that got you into whatever this mess is," she motioned about the room, "I already know that much."

The start of Bellatrix's response came out in a blend of actual words and an exaggerated sigh, "perhaps another time luv. I think we should get right to it."

It was Narcissa's turn to ask the questions. "What is this 'it' I keep hearing about? How about you run over this plan of yours before embarking on your quest."

"What? You want to join the two of us?" Bellatrix slung her arm over Regina's shoulders. "It can be just the three of us, frolicking happily through a new land, having a bit of girl time." Clearly the witch had no intention of explaining her situation to the imploring mayor.

"Our plan is simple really. We're going to my home, Bellatrix is going to help me take care of some business, and we'll be right back." Regina stated.

"Is this business going to make my sister a wanted woman in _another_ land?"

"You're wanted?" Regina snarled softly.

Bellatrix inwardly flopped between two responses. The first would be to say "of course, everyone wants Bella, I know you do." She decided the at the second was simple enough to annoy Regina far greater. "More or less." She shrugged.

The former queen ran an exasperated hand through her chocolatey hair. Ignoring Bellatrix's oh so informative reply, Regina answered Narcissa. "If we do things right, no."

"Bella knows, believe it or not," Narcissa started, "that she can't draw any more attention to herself in any land." The blonde ceased her pacing and seated herself once more. "So why? Why oh heavens why, did she agree to this?"

Regina stirred, her nerves ready to fail. She didn't have the witch's heart to keep her from outing her secret.

"Why I'm just looking for a bit of fun." Bellatrix smiled innocently. "Things have been so drab around here." Her expression dropped into a pout.

_What are you playing at?_ Regina wondered. _You had a chance at freedom, why waste it?_ Could it be possible that the witch just didn't care? Or in her sick way, did she _want_ Regina to have her heart. The implications of that startled Regina.


	8. Magic Beans And Apparition

**This is a rather slow, fillerish chapter, the next one should be more exciting.**

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"Alright we'll make this quick." Regina stated flatly. Her vow didn't move Narcissa even slightly. "And I won't let your sister get caught." She added as an afterthought.

"I appreciate the gesture." Narcissa muttered sarcastically.

"I'm sure you do." Regina tucked some clothing into the handbag Bellatrix had given her the night before. It was a useful thing made of grey velvet and embroidered with elaborate black flowers with tiny pearls in the center. The handbag itself was tiny thing but in it fit much more than the average suitcase. She wondered briefly if she could enchant a purse in her world to do such a thing.

Narcissa edged towards the jewelry Bellatrix had gifted to Regina some days ago. Without so much as a word, she dropped it into Regina's purse. "I'm helping you pack." The blonde declared in such a way that indicated that there was little room for debate. Evidently this was fine by Regina, the sooner she could depart the better.

It was fine that is, until Narcissa's hand fell over the box holding her sister's heart. "What lovely gems did Bella shower you with this time?" Ignoring Regina's adamant protests, she unhooked the latch. A warm red glow fell upon her face.

"Is this…a? A heart?" Narcissa very nearly dropped it—box and all.

"A fake one, yes." Regina spoke instantly up. "A little treasure of my own." She added as an extra precaution.

"A curious thing to be carrying around with you." Narcissa set the heart back in its box.

"What I carry with me is none of your concern." Regina gruffly snatched the jewelry box and stowed it away in her new handbag. She gave the room another quick scan before deciding she had what little she had brought with her and acquired over the past few days.

"And what is this?" Narcissa questioned.

Regina quirked an eyebrow. "A hat. Do you call it something different here?" She made another quick grab at Jefferson's hat, leaving the other woman no room to prevent her from doing so.

Narcissa's face bunched up as if she had place something sour on the tip of her tongue. _Apparently this is the woman's favorite expression. She makes it so much that it ought to be. _Regina thought. The former queen strode past her and into the dining room. Bellatrix sat at the table pushing a small quartz ball across the tabletop from hand to hand.

"Well that too long enough." Bellatrix declared.

"I assume that means you're ready to go?" Regina posed it as a question as she placed Jefferson's hat atop the table. She glanced up at the witch, half expecting her to repeat her sister's question.

Instead she asked, "what's the hat for? We gonna play dress up before we leave?" Somehow Regina knew that the woman would rather enjoy that.

"It's how I got here." Regina explained. "It's how we're getting back to my land." She added just in case Bellatrix hadn't caught the meaning.

"Well that's an unreliable travel method if I've ever seen one." Bellatrix stretched her arms out and sprawled her legs over the two chairs next to her, taking up as much space as one woman possibly could.

"You have any magic beans?" Regina asked.

From within her pocket Bellatrix whipped out a pouch of Bertie Bott's Every Flavored Beans, "these count?"

Regina placed one in her mouth, kiwi, she observed. "No."

"Hey!" Bellatrix snapped, "these are mine I didn't say you could have one!" She tucked them protectively back into her pocket. "Do you even know how to use that?" She jerked her head in the direction of the hat.

"Do you think I'd be using it if I didn't know how?"

Bellatrix tapped her pointer against her lower lip. "Yes." She picked up the hat eyeing it curiously. "If you knew how to use it how'd you end up here in a land you'd never heard of?" She set it back where Regina had placed it. "We could always apparate."

"Is it even possible to apparate from world to world?"

"Guess we'll find out luv. Do take my hand."

Regina curled her fingers around Bellatrix's hand. The woman returned the gesture, her long nails digging into Regina's skin. The Queen thought momentarily of Bellatrix's touch on her waist. The same chilly feel now ebbing over her palm.

"I swear if we land somewhere more dreadful than here, I will murder you with my bare hands." Regina declared, pushing her first thought aside.

Bellatrix frowned to herself. "I just can't win can I? If I don't take you home you'll crush my heart. And if I do, you'll murder me with your bare hands."

"There's a difference between landing somewhere dreadful that I hadn't intended on visiting and landing somewhere dreadful that I sought to get to, dear." Regina replied impassively.

Bellatrix shrugged, "I ain't worried. There aren't many places as God awful as here now that the muggles are free to roam about…And besides you have to do this anyhow, since I don't know where we're going." She looked towards the horizon, shielding her eyes with her arm. "Anyways, I suppose we should get on with it then. I'm quite eager to murder a few sorry souls."

"I'm sure you are." Regina responded.

"Now, I've seen you…poof around from place to place in that purple cloud of smoke, so I have no doubt that you can do it our way too. But listen carefully, if you do his wrong you can kill us both before we even get to the magical meadow."

"Enchanted Forest." Corrected Regina. "And we're going to Storybrooke, not—"

"Whatever." The witch huffed out before continuing. "If you do this wrong you can also lose anything from an eyelash to an entire limb. So you best visualize your destination well and good and focus on getting us there…all of us. And in one piece."

Regina closed her eyes and hoping that magic worked the same way in the wizarding world as it did in Storybrooke. She felt a considerable whack on the back of her head."

"I wasn't finished yet!" Bella snapped.

Regina tensed and clenched her fists, taking a noticeable effort not to back had the witch.

"As far as I learned there are three D's to apparition; Destination, Determination and Deliberation. In order to make a successful apparition you must have an absolutely sturdy will to get there and—as I stated before—a clear visual of your destination in mind. And you mustn't get yourself in such a rush, apparition requires some planning." Bellatrix made a point of emphasizing the 'don't rush' bit.

"I know what to do!" Regina hollered. There was just something less than thrilling about the other woman lecturing her on magic. This time Regina left her eyes open, calling the image of her pristine mansion into her mind's eye. Throwing all of her willpower into the spell, the whisked away with a loud pop.

Narcissa fixed her gaze on the spot where her sister had once stood. With a faint feeling that something had gone terribly wrong on her mind.


End file.
